Hamilton marchers demand climate action

Hamiltonians are among the chorus of people demanding climate action.

A few hundred people gathered Friday afternoon, marching from the intersection of King and Dundurn streets to Hamilton City Hall.

It’s part of a global day of demonstrations over climate change, aimed at private industry and government at all levels.

Hamilton 350, a coalition of environmental groups, organized Hamilton’s rally during which marchers held signs reading “Climate Change is the Elephant in the Room”, “There Is No Planet B” and “Hungry for Climate Leadership.”

Spokesman Don McLean says the climate change emergency declarations that have been issued recently by city councils in Hamilton, Burlington and elsewhere are “helpful”, but he adds that they must be “followed by action.”

McLean warns that “increases in emissions have been so dramatic and have been ignored for too long, that we have very little time left to try to prevent the climate situation from going completely out of control.”

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McLean calls specifically on fossil fuel companies to “stop expanding their infrastructure and convert themselves to energy companies.”

McLean acknowledges that weaning ourselves off fossil fuel isn’t going to be easy, but he contends that “we don’t have a choice.”